The widespread use of chainsaws and similar high speed cutting devices, both commercially and individually, has resulted in many serious injuries to the users. The frequency and magnitude of these injuries have been a major concern to safety organizations, employers and insurance companies. Numerous protective and safety measures and devices have been proposed to protect the users of these devices.
Of interest to the present invention are the following:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Inventor(s) Date of Issue ______________________________________ 2,757,460 Bufis 08/07/56 2,872,745 Finegan 02/10/59 2,902,779 Cook 09/08/59 2,945,308 Pence 07/19/60 3,003,261 Graham et al 10/10/61 3,128,565 Graham et al 04/14/64 4,079,527 Antonius 03/21/78 4,503,566 Wheeler 03/12/85 4,526,828 Fogt et al 07/02/85 D 288,382 Birchwood 02/24/87 4,665,633 Edgerton 05/19/87. ______________________________________
Bufis discloses a pants protector formed of a thin waterproof material adapted to be fitted over the lower portion of the trousers leg and the upper part of the shoe to protect the same against the elements.
Finegan discloses a spat-like protector of duckbill design having a cuff of pliable leather to wrap around the ankle and a foot covering portion of tough flexible leather. The device is to protect the wearer from the shock of falling objects and to guard against spills.
Two piece rigid leggings constructed of resinous fiber reinforced plastic which encircle the leg from the knee to the vamp of the shoe are disclosed by Cook.
Pence discloses a metal snake guard comprised of two contoured sides hinged by leather strips. The protector extends from the knee to the ankle.
Graham et al, in both references, disclose a hunting boot protector having two pieces; a foot covering member and a leg covering member attached to the foot covering member. The device is constructed of a fiber impregnated resin plastic.
Antonius discloses a shoe having a flap, tab or strap to maintain a constant tautness across the toes, arch and ankle of the wearer. A continuous variable attachment means is provided.
Wheeler discloses a device to protect feet and legs against molten metal contact comprising a two-piece upper portion which wraps around a user's lower leg and a stiff flare portion to cover the top of the user's shoe.
Fogt et al disclose a protective material for gloves, leggings, aprons, sleeves and the like. The material comprises a textile base material, an intermediate layer of para aramid fiber having large pores and an outer layer of an elastomeric material. The elastomeric material extends through the pores of the intermediate layer.
Birchwood discloses a flexible shoe/boot heel protector.
Edgerton discloses a shoe top cover formed of a single thickness of flexible fabric to protect the shoe upper from paint or plastic dripping.
None of these references are directed toward providing protection to users of high speed cutting tools and which also permit the user to wear the protective device while engaged in normal walking and working situations. Even leather boots and so-called "safety shoes" do not provide protection against a high speed chainsaw.
U.K. Patent No. 4084 issued to Budischowsky, Mar. 31, 1904 discloses a cloth on leather gaiter formed of two pieces sewn together. A strip is provided to encircle the wearer's ankle so the gaiter can be worn over the user's shoe.
The applicant is aware of one type of protective device designed for use with chainsaws which is a protective chaps type of garment. The chaps are more fully described in Specification 6170-4D, January 1989 for Chaps, Chainsaw, published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service which covers the requirements for nylon covered para aramid chainsaw chaps. The chaps, which are intended for use by workers operating chainsaws, are cut resistant and provide protection for the legs and lower torso area. These chaps are widely used by employees in the lumber industry, but despite this use, there is still a disturbingly high incidence of serious injuries to the feet of employees caused by accidents with chainsaws.
U.K. Patent Application No. 2,219,727A, published Dec. 20, 1989, disclosed an item of protective clothing having a layer which is designed to "strand" when contacted by a chainsaw blade. The length of any strand of the material is considerably longer than the length or breadth of the actual fabric layer.
A satisfactory device to provide protection to the shoe, boot and ankle of a chainsaw operator was disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 746,054. In that disclosure, a protective cover is provided having an para aramid fabric lining and designed to be worn over a shoe or boot. However, there still exists room for improvement of the structure of the protective cover to provide greater safety to the operator of a chainsaw.
It is very important to adequately and positively secure the protective cover to the shoe or boot of the chainsaw operator in a manner to assure that the protective cover is not separated from the shoe or boot as a result of the forces applied to the cover by contact with the high speed blade of the chainsaw. The protective cover must be held firmly about the ankle of the wearer so that movement of the protective cover away from the ankle is prevented. Also, the cover cannot have open sides and must be held close to the shoe or boot so that, while worn, underbrush and other objects cannot enter between the boot and the cover and hinder the normal walking of the wearer. Furthermore, the front of the shoe or boot, must be held firmly in place. Contact of this portion of the cover, which is the most probable point of contact by a chainsaw, will result in separating of the cover from the shoe or boot if the cover is not held adequately in place. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 764,605 discloses means for detachably securing the protective cover to the sole plane of the shoe or boot.
While this protective cover is an advancement over the prior art, there exists a need for a cover which is permanently secured to the shoe or boot so that the user's feet and ankles are protected at all times while the shoe or boot is worn.